Making the Most of the AP-LS Annual Conference: Undergrad Edition!

As an undergraduate student, navigating the conference landscape can be difficult and anxiety-provoking, especially if you aren’t going to the conference with a group of other undergrads. Have no fear! Experienced conference-goers are here to give you some tips and tricks to maximizing your experience and also having fun at the conference. Student Section’s Clinical Liaison, Shelby Arnold, has attended the conference twice as an undergrad, and consulted with Mark Houck, the Project Coordinator of the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab at Drexel University, who has also attended the conference as an undergrad.

1. Undergraduate students will likely be unfamiliar with the format of APLS and may feel out-of-place in a crowd consisting primarily of graduate students and professionals. The conference can and likely will be intimidating for first-time students! Undergraduate students should speak to their mentors and reach out to graduate students who have been to the conference to learn about the purpose of the conference as well as expectations regarding conduct, dress, etc. Undergraduate students can also ask for recommended topics, presenting labs, or universities to be sure not to miss. 
2.  Research the city hosting the conference! Attending the conference will feel a lot like attending classes. Students will be busy during the day, but the nights and some afternoons are their own. Students might also wish to travel to the hosting city earlier or leave later to have time dedicated to exploring. Each city has its own character, plenty to do, and some attractions that are definitely worth visiting!
3.  Use the conference as a tool to explore your interests or hone some preexisting ideas. Many undergraduate students feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of programs that are out there when applying to graduate school. With so many different programs congregating to one place, undergraduate students can view APLS as a graduate school fair of sorts. If undergrad students check out talks on a variety of topics from a variety of institutions, they can walk away from APLS with a few clear ideas in mind and a jump start of grad school applications, and you can meet people at different programs to express interest or ask questions!
4.  Networking is tricky for an undergrad! The two primary goals here are to meet people with similar interests or improve already existing relationships, but try to approach every interaction with a purpose! If the person is a stranger, do you have a question about their presentation or research? If you're going out to dinner with others, is it to relax, to get to know the others better, or both? Keep those purposes in mind, and conversations will flow much more naturally. 
5.  Don't be intimidated by the crowd! Undergraduates are few and heavily outnumbered by their "superiors" at APLS, but this is a chance for them to treat themselves like a professional among professionals. Asking questions is the easiest way to get involved at APLS. No question is stupid if you are learning! If it feels like something you don't understand BECAUSE you are an undergrad, ask the person sitting next to you, or approach the presenter after the conclusion of a talk. Really learning more about the field and what other professionals are up to is the primary purpose of the conference!
6.  Social outings in this setting are going to be a new experience for many undergraduates. It's ok to be informal after hours, but remember that you could easily end up working with the people around you for many years to come! Nobody likes living down embarrassing moments, so it's best to remember that work friends and conference socials are not college friends or college socials. However, at this stage, this is the perfect time to practice striking a balance between loosening up and staying professional with other current and future colleagues.
7.  Take notes on everything! If an undergraduate is serious enough to attend APLS, it's likely that he/she will be presenting there in the near future. Not all presentation styles are created equal, and the best ones definitely make an impact on the crowd. Remember them as well as the things that presenters did poorly and the things they did well. 
8.  Have fun!! The conference is definitely an academic experience but they make APLS in a cool city for a reason, so definitely make sure you explore and enjoy yourself.